The Summer She Left Me
by skeptic skeleton
Summary: Austin Moon only had one goal: to make the summer before senior year the best one. With his career rocketing skyward and his best friends by his side, everything is perfect. What he didn't have in mind was a new girl blowing in and accidently taking Miami by storm. Maybe this new girl was a dose of exactly what he needed.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey! This is my first time on the A&A archive, so please be gentle with your torches.**

**I've been into summer romance novels lately and I just finished reading two of Sarah Dessen's and this story was born. But that's not the only one reason; the other is that writing Auslly has been something I've wanted to do, but could never get the hang of. But the way I wanna go with this isn't something I've seen or read much on this archive because the roles are more switched character-wise (which will be explained later in the story).**

**Longer A/N at the bottom, as usual with my stories.**

* * *

The tables were sticky with spilt syrup while burnt waffles and brewing coffee coated the thick air. Summer had definitely arrived.

I felt hot in my waitor's uniform and apon, serving and taking orders to laste riser and tired joggers.

"You, my friend, are a mess."

She looked me straight in the eye when she said this, leaving no room for protest as I sat down tiredly on my break.

"Oh, yeah?" I said. I took of the stupid hat that was part of the getup and pulled at my sticky shirt, dampenin quickly with sweat from bustling around a diner full of body heat and huge patches of sunlight. But I could't complain bo how much I wanted to.

"You sure are Blondie." Cassidy reachd out to ruffle my from her side of the counter.

"Hypocrite!" I cried, taking a fingerti amount of her own blonde streaked hair.

She winked, pulling her noteped from her apron and setting off. "Fine, bleached Blondie."

I cringed in disgust. Despite what everyne else thought, I didn't bleach my hair.

A buzz erupted from my pocket, catching my attention. I groaned; I didn't want to talk to anybody - I wanted to nap. But I ignored my protesting brain and pulled out my phone. Dez's face popped up as it vibrated away in my hands.

**Next break? Got major news; meet at beach.**

"Moon, you better be working by the time I get out there!"

I shot up like a rocket; no one wanted a ruthless boss like Mindy on their case with a house full of customers. Tripping over my own feet, I hurried to a booth in the farthest corner - the farther away from Mindy, the better.

A sarcastic kind of laugh greeted me once I regained my balance. I stared, flushed, down at my notepad. My fingers fumbled with my pencil as I kept my head low.

"Two large chocolate melts and two Western platters, egg sunnyside up with wheat toast." I took the menus from the girl's hands, suddenly taking in notice in the large order and lack of people in the booth.

"Raised by truckers, I see?" I said lightly, hoping to easily get along with this girl. She seemed nice; one of the better customers of Melody Diner.

The girl, fortunately, took no offense to comment and shook her head of massive brown waves, chuckling under her breath like she didn't want to, but could resist. I did happen to have that affect on people. "Nah, a lawyer and a CEO - but good guess. My sister's in the bathroom."

I nodded, liking this girl. But her image was...a double take, I guess. She was all tank top, leather vest, and gray shorts - not what I pictured the daughter of two wealthy people being. Intrigued, I couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to see her sister once I came back with food.

With a nod, I hurried to turn in the order. Cassidy was back yet again, smirking like a crimminal. I hated when she did that.

"You never stop, do you Moon?" she asked, nudging her head in the direction of the booth the girl was sitting at.

I stuck my tongue, resorting to my childish tactics to get her off my back. "So I like being nice to customers and getting big tips - sue me for God sakes."

"Sounds like if you make the wrong move, she could." Cassidy smiled again. (As bad as it sounds, her smile was a lot more dangerous than her smirk.)

It took two customers and a juice spill later that her order was ready. Carefully I balanced the heavy tray of steaming food on my palm and treaded my way carefully around the tables and chairs and wet floor signs in my way.

"...no, no, no! I'm doing no such thing!" was the first thing I heard when I arrived to the booth. Like predicted, there were two brunettes instead of one this time. To my surprise, this girl was completely different than her sister: bright shorts and brown leather boots. But with a bit more of a stubborn kind of way of acting.

Apparently the conversation was halted as soon as I arrived, Bright Shorts letting out a quick yelp from what I assume was nice kick to the shin under the table.

"Two chocolates and a Western," I said, smiling as I put their plates and drinks in front of them. The two sisters smiled and thanked me kindly - the action itself told how alike the two sisters were, in looks and way of manners.

"Before I forget, is this place offering open mics or anything?" Leather Vest asked with a giant smirk. Bright Shorts glared at her fiercely.

"Vanessa, drop it! I'm not doing it!" Vanessa ignored her sister's protests and looked at my expectantly.

I nodded, going to pull the flyer out of my apron pocket. "Yes indeedy; two open mics on the 16th of every month." I handed it to Vanessa, who took it eagerly.

"Ally, you're doing it whether or not I have to attach strings to you and command you like a puppet."

Ally, the other sister, looked unfazed by this threat. "Not happening. I don't care what you say, Vanessa, I'm not getting up on that stage and you can't make me!"

"Wait, you sing?" I couldn't help but ask.

"And play piano," Vanessa answered for her, looking pleased.

Ally stared down at her plate of food. "Nothing much. Just dabbling a little, I guess."

Vanessa snorted. "Liar."

The two began to bicker - I took that as my cue to make a quick exit while I could. But as I continued on with my shift like every morning, I couldn't help but wonder what that Ally girl had in her, if it was anything at all.

**{::::::::::::::::}**

The beach was packed, every foot of sandy ground covered in towels and chairs and umbrellas poking out from where people I shoved them in the ground. I passed several tipping castles as I jogged down to the pier, my shoes kicking up sand behind me like a dry spray.

"Where have you been, man?" Dez was easy to spot with neon yellow pants clasing with his orange alligator shirt standing by the corndog vendor, one already jammed into his mouth. When he talked as I stopped I had to be careful to avoid a spray of breading flying at me.

"I work, genius," I reminded him. "And I wasn't going to just leave Katie at the sitter's longer than needed."

"That's what sitter's are for!"

He was right, but the hag of a sitter had watched me when I was Katie's age and I wasn't leaving my sister alone with her longer than needed.

"Whatever, man, back to the main topic - huge news?"

Dez looked over my shoulder for a second, before his face brightened and he hopped up and down clapping. "Ooohh, I finally found the It Girl!"

I looked to my best bud in excitement. "You're positive? This girl is gonna seal the deal with us?"

He snorted, flapping a hand in my face to push aside my worries. "Chillax, I've checked her out. She's only here for four months, looks the part, and got's the lungs. Dude, she's the one!"

I still looked at him uncertainly. I loved Dez like a brother, but his choices so far had been pretty - out there for what we were doing. At his hopeful, excited expression I sighed. "If you're sure. When can I meet her?"

"Sunday on your two thirty break," a feminine voice informed behind me.

I jumped, scared out of my wits, and spun to see my Latina manager smirking at me. She wiggled her phone in my face. I took it from her grip and held it close to my face, examining the It Girl.

Brown hair and brown eyes. Pale face and small mouth. Slim and dainty looking.

"Pft, no need," I said easily, feeling excited. "I've already met her."

Trish took her phone back, looking at the girl then to me in bewilderment. "You have?"

"Yeah, this morning at the diner. She was with her sister." I nodded, thinking of my impression of Ally. "Totally an eight and a half for sure."

Dez eagerly bent closer to Trish's phone for a better look. "Eight and a half! The highest score we've had all month!"

Trish rolled her eyes, pulling her phone away. Dez stood back to his full height, pouting as she slid her phone off. "That's because we're only a week into the month, genuis," she snapped at him. "And you can't rate a girl just by her picture." She turned to me, looking expectant as she asked, "did her voice come across as one of a good singer? Because this girl has to be able to pull of a duet with you, and not just have a pretty face."

I rolled my lips in my mouth, kicking the sand as I thought. "Her sister said she was talented," I finally gave with a shrug. "Ally really didn't say much about herself except that she dabbled in piano."

Confused, Trish took her phone back and typed in something, looking down at her screen for a minute before looking back at us, perplexed. "Her name is Ally? The informaion coming in with the photo said her name was Vanessa - Vanessa Dawson."

"What? No, that's her sister."

At first, I was confused, but then it clicked in my head. Ally was really shy and quiet when her sister mentioned her musical skills. And Vanessa seemed overly eager for Ally to share.

"Her sister must have filled it out for her," I said aloud. "Aw man, now I feel bad."

Trish sighed, shaking her head as she put her phone away again. "Great, a blind audition, that's exactly what we need."

"Wait, she's blind?" Dez asked as we started toward his car.

She sighed, rolling her eyes and gesturing for me to explain as she slid into the back seat.

**{::::::::::::::::}**

Jimmy Starr handed Trish's phone back, his expression unreadable as he turned to me. "And you're sure this girl can make the cut?" he asked us. "You're running out of time, Austin, and you did beg me for achance to do this yourself."

I nodded my head furiously. "I promise! Once you meet her, she'll blow you out of the water!"

"But we haven't even -" Dez began, only to yelp and look pointedly at Trish from where she sat next to him. She must have kicked him to keep him from spilling that we haven't really figured out this girl's potential, but we were desperate.

I looked at him from across the huge glass meeting table. "We're positive. When have we ever let you down, Jimmy?"

He gave me a look, as if he didn't want to mention the past's near disaters. Finally, he gave a long sigh, and rubbed his temples. "Just don't let me down you three, because Lord knows how much choas my label can afford now."

I beamed at him, channeling all my boyish charm into it. Because no one can resist its power, really. "Don't worry," I siad confidently, puffing ouy my chest. "We got it covered."

* * *

**Okay, so when I first got this idea, I thought it was the best, that it was going to be amazing, blah blah blah. But then I lost interest, gained it back, lost it, gained it. You kno how it goes.**

**So I've just kind of put this on a high shelf and honestly it feels really weird finally finishing it.**

**I have a Auslly one-shot in the works. It like this is AU, but less humorous. But it's not all dark and mysterious either.**

**It's really hard to explain.**

**My updating status has been spotty with all my stories, and I'm currently recovering from being sick, so that makes it even worse. I can't gaurentee when the next chapter will, or how long it will be either.**

**But reviews help. They are my fuel, so feel free to drop one.**

**I'll see you next time, then. Laters.**

**PS: The next chapter is already in the works. Wee.**


	2. Chapter 2

**I have yet to edit the first chapter but here I am starting the next one. Oops.**

**Thanks for all the lovely reviews on the last chapter. And I found all the death threats to be quite charming, really ;)**

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"So? How'd the meeting with Jimmy go?" my mom asked, raising an eyebrow at me curiously.

I shrugged, setting down the last knife and fork next to my sister's Disney's Princess plate. Katie looked at me with her wide green eyes and giggled, beginning to tap randomly on the table. "You know, the usual. He grilled us for being so close to our deadline, the usual."

Mom sighed, turning the stove off and setting her pasta spoon down. Steam rose from the pans as she gingerly picked up the one full of spaghetti noodles. Without being told, I grabbed the one full of sauce and followed her example of setting it on the table. Katie blinked at us through her blonde strands much like mine.

I smiled, ruffling her hair. "Dig in, kiddo." I helped her scoop food on to her plate and scooted her glass of milk forward, knowing she was dangerously close to spilling it all over herself.

Mom watched me do this, her eyes burning holes into my back as I finished assisting Katie and took a seat.

"How was work?" I asked, spooning noodles on to my plate. It was our second night in a row having pasta; I'd have to grocery shopping this weekend. "Was Janet still on leave?"

She sighed, twirling spaghetti on her fork. "You shouldn't be able to memorize the names of my work people," she said tiredly, "it means I complain too much."

"Or I'm just really observant," I suggested cheekily.

Mom smiled, shaking her head at me in that way she had of doing things, and stuck her fork in her mouth.

Our apartment was big enough, three bedrooms, two hall closets, a small living room, a kitchen, and a bathroom big enough for two people to be in it at once. It wasn't a palace, but we made it work.

While I did find it nice, it was pretty cozy, and money was tight even with such a small place. It was one of the reasons I had been so ecstatic to have my music career picking up. It meant I could finally do something for my mom instead of watching her take crazy shifts and take care of Katie and me.

Suddenly Katie began laughing in that high, squealing way of hers, clearly amused by something going on in her head. Mom, seeing this, began chuckling herself. "What's so funny, baby girl?"

With her tiny five-year-old fingers, Katie reached over to poke at my bangs that swooped over my eyes. "Floppy," she giggled, entertained by the way the rustled under her fingers.

Playfully, I glowered at my mom, who was innocently stuffing more noodles in her mouth to keep from chortling. "I swear you train her to say these things," I said, my voice taking on a melodramatic edge, "but just 'cause she's adorable doesn't mean I'm going to get my hair cut."

Mom went on like she had no idea what I was talking about, even though Katie knew how much Mom dropped hints of her wanting to get my hair trimmed. And when you're five and can catch on to these kind of signals, they aren't too subtle either.

Using Katie was a level up from just bluntly bringing up the suggestion in conversation, but I still refused to do so.

I quickly finished what was left on my plate, grabbing a small portion of seconds and wolfing that down before excusing myself and going to drop my plate off in the sink. I ruffled Katie's hair again as I passed her, feeling her squirm and squeal underneath the palm of my hand.

I always worried with how much my sister squirmed, for when she did it made her body tip sideways. This wouldn't be much of a problem as it was when she was sitting on top of a stack of phone books so that she could actually reach the table.

Dumping my plate in the sink, I flip on the water and let it run, washing off most of the sauce from my plate. Waiting, I looked out the tiny window above our sink to where across the street, was the taxi garage. Our apartment building was on the edge of downtown, putting us at the edge of where the factories and car garages were. But this wasn't necessarily a bad thing either; Mom didn't tolerate it as much as I did, but she was grateful that it made us live closer to Uncle Benny.

Uncle Benny was my mom's long-term best friend from high school. They graduated together and went to the same community college before he dropped out their second year to begin managing the family's taxi company, Roger and Sons Taxi Palace. Granted, it was just him, his cousin, and three buddies running it, but they managed to run it well.

It helped that he was generous enough to drive Katie to the hag of a sitter's every day before his noon shift, and drive me to work on my weekend shifts that was out of his days off. The mini driving lessons he gave me from time to time was his present for when I turned sixteen, no charge for any of things he did for us needed.

Mom never took him up on his offer of driving her to work, though, although he extended the offer quite often. Instead she took the half hour bus ride there and back every day, putting up with the grumpy bus driver and worse riding company. I knew this was because she would feel guilty for taking help from someone she couldn't repay.

Now, I flipped the water off, leaving my plate for whoever had dish duty tonight. I turned down the short hall to my room, kicking the door closed with my foot and tugging my shirt over my head. Although I had changed out of my work uniform, my shirt was still damp with sweat, the Miami heat nearly unbearable in the beginning peak of June.

Like the rest of our homely apartment, my room is surprisingly clean. A calendar of The Big Bang Theory tacked up on the wall my bed was pushed against, several posters of my favorite bands plastered on my other walls, along with taped up magazine articles about my sudden career built up from a viral video made in Dez's bedroom.

A guitar leaned against my scratched oak dresser, a keyboard I bought myself at the age of ten from a garage sale laid on top, and music sheets were stuffed everywhere. Some popped out from beneath my mattress, some clung to the wall with weak tape pieces, others even peeked out from underwear drawer and hamper.

Mom complained that I should keep a file, making it easier to get access to my songs and not take quite as long to search for, but I caught her smiling now and then when I plucked one from my pillow case.

Grabbing a stray Sharpie, I crossed today off my calendar, Sheldon smiling knowingly at me as I did so. Today's square had MEETING WITH JS written on it, as did next Wednesday's square. AUDITIONS was written in tomorrow's square, my speedy scrawl making it edge into the day's after it as well. After a quick second decision, I write W/ALLY underneath it, thinking about the brunette in bright shorts drinking chocolate milk at the diner.

**{::::::::::::::::}**

The last thing anyone wants when they wake up was an earful of Trish in morning - especially when she was feeling particularly impatient at that moment.

Despite my good behavior for the past week or so, that was exactly how I greeted when I stumbled into my kitchen the next morning, hoping to get some toast and juice in my system to start the day.

"Austin Monica Moon!" I jumped, nearly wetting my boxers at the sound. Then I groaned, realizing who was yelling at me so ruthlessly at nine in the morning.

"Monica!" Katie echoed happily from her phone booth stack at the table across from a patiently seated Dez.

I rolled my eyes, grabbing the butts that were left from the loaf of bread and popping then in the toaster. I chugged some milk from the carton, all our glasses dirty, before setting it back and wiping at my mouth with the back of my hand.

Trish made a disgusted noise as I yanked on my boxers to straightened then, giving her pointed look. "You stormed into my house at the crack of dawn," I stated grumpily, "what do you want?"

"Your mom let us in, and it's nine fifteen, the time normal people get up," Trish argued, daring me to counter her words. Since I enjoyed living, I didn't, instead turning to my toast when it let out a ding.

"Vanessa called, she and Ally arranged to meet us at her father's music store in the mall," she continued.

I slowed my chewing, half a piece of bread hanging out of my mouth. "Wait - she said their parents were lawyers and CEOs," I said perplexed.

Dez looked up from his phone, waggling his eyebrows. "Maybe that's a part of their secret identity."

Katie giggled and threw (more like launched) the plastic spoon she'd been using to eat applesauce at his head; it missed by a mile and landed with tinkled thud against the back of the couch in the living room.

Trish rubbed her temples with the hand that wasn't holding her phone. "You," she said, pointing at me, "go get dressed. Make sure Dez doesn't break the kitchen while I take Katie to Uncle Benny."

Katie perked up at the sound of her name, squealing when Trish lifted her up. Her small ponytail bobbed as she was bounced in my friend's hold "Com'n cutie," Trish cooed, heading toward the door, "Let's go see Uncle Benny."

"But I haven't finished my butt bread yet!" My protest was lost as Trish slammed the door closed behind her.

**{::::::::::::::::}**

Sonic Boom was one of three music stores in all of Miami, and among my personal favorite. I really liked the friendly vibe of the stores, and the colorful atmosphere of it. While it wasn't the most visited store in the mall, it certainly was one of the better ones and attracted a great number of customers - at least from what I could tell when I took my visits there.

The small store was run by a friendly, scatter-brained man named Lester. He was nice and polite, a bit cheap at times, but an all-around nice guy.

After Trish came back from dropping Katie off and leaving her with Uncle Benny, she was satisfied to find me freshly showered, dressed, and ready with my apartment in tact and piled us into her car, driving us off to the mall. The advantage of living on the edge of downtown was that the mall was fifteen minute walk away in the center of everything, making it about a five, ten minute drive.

Which was a good thing all together, because if Dez is in a car too long he would start belting out whatever song is in his head at that moment - and it was usually one of his own creation.

"I thought you like brown-eyed guys!" a voice cried when entered the shop. Moving arounda customer, I saw Vanessa speaking to a brunetter who had her back to us. "They were you're thing in New York. What's wrong with the ones here?"

"There's nothing wrong with them," a calm voice, one that proved the other brunette to be Ally, said, "he was a nice guy, I just don't want to date him."

"Why not?" Vanessa prompted. "He had the whole floppy, kicked puppy look going on. That's your type; and he was single!"

"Where there's a kicked puppy there's usually an attatchment clause," Ally sighed, turning to the register. She played with it, obviously wanting to drop the conversation.

Vanessa was about to retort when she saw us inching toward the counter. She brightened up, hopping off the counter and walking over to us. "Hey guys! Are you the people I talked to about the gig?"

Trish stepped up, all authority as she nodded and stuck out a hand. "Trish de la Rosa at your service." They shook, exchanging polite smiles. "This is my client Austin Moon and the idiot redhead next to him is Dez, our director."

Vaness looked to me, obviously reconigzing me from the diner. "Ah, so Blondie has lungs?"

I scowled. "Why does everyone call me that?"

She grinned, stepping forward to ruffle my hair playfully. "Why do you think, smart one?"

Trish looked between us, then to Ally, who had busied herself with correcting a guitar picks display and counting the money in the register. "You two have met?" she asked surprised.

"He served us food," Vanessa recalled brightly. I nodded in agreement.

Trish understood what this meant, having spent countless mornings dropping me off at the Melody Diners, and nodded, dismissing this. Dez entertained himself with recording us as we began discussing the arrangements of the meeting.

"I hope you don't mind it being here," Vanessa apologized, lowering her voice as she took a quick look back at her sister. "Ally's a bit shy and I dedicated this summer to trying to break her out of this phase."

"If you don't mind me asking, how long has this phase been?" I piped up, curious as I took a look at Ally. She seemed to be humming, looking at the piano nearby in longing. I watched as her fingers began to twitch, as if she were already there at the keys, playing a song.

Vanessa shrugged. "A couple years or so. She was really affected when our parents split and mom remarried only a year later. She's been reall self-concious because of it. Always thinking she had to fix everything and such. I feel bad for her." Her eyes softened as she spoke. I had to smile. She talked in the same fond way about her sister as I did mine. "After I go off to college next year I don't know how's she going to manage senior year without me."

Dez looked up from behind the lense for a minute. "Lester's your dad?"

She nodded brightly, smiling again. "Yup. We get our summers and thanksgiving with him and the rest of our family down here then spend the school year with mom."

It never occurred to me that Lester had a daughter. But it would explain why he seemed so used to being around teenagers when he sometimes asked me to run the store when he had mall meetings. Or why he was more fond of us than his other customers.

"So, how are we going to do this?" Trish asked, all business against she slid her look over to Ally. "I mean, what makes you think she's gonna want to perform in front of three strangers."

"She knows Blondie," Vaness pointed out, making me frown again. I really hated that nickname.

Trish nodded. "True point, but that doesn't make him audience friendly."

"Doesn't matter." Vanessa lowered her voice even more, whispering loudly for the three of us to hear, "just follow my lead."

She turned away from us, going to Ally, who looked from the cash register.

"These three want to take a look at our new shipment of the neon mini amps," Vanessa lied breezily, impressing me. "Can I just take them upstairs real quick so they can see how they like them?"

Ally spun to look at us, giving a friendly smile and wave which we all returned. I felt kind of bad for lying to her - she seemed kind and nice, not exactly the person that you would want to trick.

Subtly, Vanessa waved at us to follow her up a flight of steps that led to the balcony part of the store. She didn't talk and we didn't say anything until she had safely guided us into an office of sorts, overly cluttered with a dusty, crooked looking piano nowhere near as up to code as the one downstairs.

"We have a mini recording booth at home," she explained, closing the door and locking it. "Well, part of one. All we have is the panel, you know, how they use to change the music pace and artist voice and everything? Sometimes Ally records her own stuff and burns it onto some CDs. I guess for sentimental reasons. Anyway, before I snuck a few and brought them with us for the summer."

To prove her point, she grabbed a backpack that had been leaning against the piano bench and dug through it, proudly pulling out a slim blue CD case. She dug around again, this time her hand coming out with an out portable CD player. She set the volume on low, before popping the disk in and setting it on the table.

A gentle voice came from the player, soft and gentle as it went, but growing stronger as the beginning chords went on.

_"You had me to get her._  
_And here, I thought it was me._  
_I was changin', arrangin' my life to fit your lies._  
_It's all said and all done._  
_I gave it all for the long run._  
_Can she say the same thing?_  
_I guess this is good bye and good luck._  
_(I can't be what you want me to be.)_

_I'm sorry for changing._  
_I'm sorry it had to be this way._  
_Believe me, it's easier just to pretend._  
_But, I won't apologize for who I am._

_No, no._

_Remember the time when you said you were out with your best friend._  
_But it wasn't the best friend that you know I thought you meant and_  
_I used to accept it, I didn't know I could be free._  
_But I am, and I won't go back 'cause you so don't deserve me._  
_(I don't even want to be her.)_

_I'm sorry for changing._  
_I'm sorry it had to be this way._  
_Believe me, it's easier just to pretend._  
_But, I won't apologize for who I am._

Whoa. I stared, stunned as the song faded out, finished.

Ally was incredible. Her voice could be soft and lilting, but strong and empowered at the same time. Exactly the kind of girl I needed for my music video.

"She's amazing," I breathed.

"Stunning," Trish agreed, looking excited.

"Whoa," was Dez's only comment.

Vanessa looked down fondly as her voice began playing again, put on repeat. I had no complaints to this. Ally's voice was one you'd want to listen to over and over again.

"I know," she said, "my baby sister is really something."

"And that song," Trish said excitedly, "that was one of the best songs I've ever heard! Did she write it herself?"

"Oh, you bet. Wrote it, composed it and everything." There was a sparkle in her eye as Vanessa finally put the disk to a stop. A protest was on the tip of my tongue, wanting it to continue playing. "Exactly why she needs this summer. Ally's got talent, whether she likes it or no."

"Well, I think my client can agree with me when I say Ally's exactly what we're looking for - talented, friendly, easy to look at. She's got the part."

Vanessa clapped excitedly, but her thrilled mood diminished slightly. "Aw man, we forgot something."

"We hired a girl with stage fright who doesn't know she landed a gig?" Dez summarized.

She nodded. "That about covers it."

We began plotting how exactly we were going to approach Ally with this. We agreed that it had to be done gently, to win her over and convince her to do it. Everyone agreed that I should do it, rather than her sister because her advances had been useless on the subject.

"Maybe hearing it from a stranger will make her think it's true for once," Vanessa suggested.

I nodded, but felt nervous. I would be telling the girl who could make or break this entire project for me about her own breathtaking musical talent, with the very possible chance everything will crash course downhill.

That was an insane amount of pressure to put on one guy.

* * *

**I'm very proud of this chapter, I have to say. It came to me pretty easily and I ended up writing a lot more than I had thought when I first started this chapter.**

**Reviews are much appreciated, and fuels the progress of the next chapter. (Which I have yet to start...uh oh...)**


	3. Chapter 3

**At least half of this chapter was written listening to fun on the road. Just a fun fact for ya'll.**

**I've feeling ill and gross for a while, then had a road trip, and this is the month before school starts and that's making me super busy, and most of the first two chapters were pre-written, so forgive if this chapter doesn't measure up.**

**Oh, and the song that Ally's recording sang in the last chapter was I Won't Apologize by Selena Gomez.**

**This is a disclaimer for the entire story: all the songs I use or anything else you can recognize I do not own and never will.**

* * *

"Hey, are you here to see Vanessa again?"

I shook my head. "Uh, no, actually, I'm here to see you."

Ally looked up, surprised, from where she was finishing ringing up another customer's trumpet. "Me?" she asked, bemused.

I looked down at her. Up closer she seemed even smaller than when I first met her at the diner. "Yeah, you."

She took a sweeping glance of the store, which was pretty deserted besides us and a older lady with two children carefully examining the flutes and plastic recorders. "Okay, what about?"

I took in a deep breath. I had put off talking to Ally for three days, never knowing how to exactly approach her about it. Trish had claimed I was just being an idiot chicken when finding out I still hadn't done my job of asking Ally, but she hadn't seen this girl's stubbornness close up like I had at the diner. If she wouldn't agree to do an open mic night at a half-empty diner on a Tuesday evening, what made us think she would agree to sing a duet with me for a music video?

Now, Ally propped herself against the counter, leaning forward on her arms and looking expectantly at me. I still had not figured out how to ask her without coming across blunt and demanding, so I went for Plan B: avoiding the topic entirely.

"Vanessa told me that you wrote songs," I said casually. At hearing this, her face tinted pink, embarrassed. "And I was wondering if I could get you to look over something my song-writer came up with."

"Oh, that's right. Vanessa told me you were one of those over-night, luck-riding musicians," Ally said, tilting her head at me.

I made a face. "Luck-ridden? Is that what you think?"

She shrugged, her slim shoulder rising up and down. She wasn't wearing as bright colors I was used to seeing her in, instead yellow jeans and black lace tank top. I bit my tongue to resist telling her that she reminded me of a bumble bee. "You have to admit, you were pretty lucky to have _the_ Jimmy Starr see a video made in your bedroom."

"It happens to the best of us," I told her, grinning cheekily.

Surprisingly, she laughed. "Okay, so my sister blabbed about how I'm a closet artist."

"Pretty much."

Ally sighed, shaking her head. "I swear - I can't trust her with anything." She glanced up to the office room, where she had last seen my friends and I disappear with her sister. "Let me guess, all the juicy details of my song life were relived in there?"

"Not all of it, I'm sure," I said. "Just all of the major parts."

"Well, despite what she's told you, I'm perfectly fine with - wait, we're talking and I don't even know your name?"

"Austin Moon - music legend in the making." I stuck my hand out. "And you're Ally Dawson. The small girl with the big voice."

"If I had a nickel for every time someone said that to me..." she let her sentence hang." Am I going to regret ever agreeing to this, Austin Moon?"

I smirked, leaning closer. I felt like a giant, towering over her even as she wore heels. "Trust me, you won't be the same."

**{:::::::::::::::::}**

Ally had a system. She liked sitting in what she called her practice room at Sonic Boom and just letting herself play, writing down whatever lyric and melody came to her head.

Apparently, my mere existence was ruining this well-thought out system of hers.

"You're songs are nice, but I'm not looking to sob my heart out," I pointed out to her, turning to her on the piano bench. She narrowed her eyes at me, thin arms crossing over her chest. "I'm looking to make people have fun and dance. Not cry and weep."

Ally glared at me. "Well excuse me if I'm not one to hang with 'cool crowd' like you," she bit back bitterly, turning her attention back to the piano. "Not everyone can be popular and well liked like you."

I frowned, sensing that there was more to that sentence than she was willing to give, and I wasn't going to pry seeing that she was already annoyed with me. I found that to be very hard to believe, because I was just a likeable person at nature. Not to mention that my good looks helped in that department.

"What kind message do you want in your song?" Ally asked, turning to look at me again. She looked tired, even though we had only been sitting there for a little under three hours, long after she closed Sonic Boom for the day.

I thought back to all my previous songs. Despite her lack of getting them in on time, my last songwriter was pretty good at capturing the essence of a good dance party. But my fans had been promised something refreshing and new on my website by Trish a week ago, and I couldn't let them. (And that may be because Jimmy was expecting something refreshing and new because Trish had promised him that as well.)

The one thing my last songs never mentioned was a girl. I heard (and sung along to) plenty of upbeat, dance songs about a girl.

"It should be a crush song," I said, slowly gaining more confidence of the year. I nodded, a grin busting out on my face as I got up and began dancing, thinking of the song. I couldn't form how I wanted it to be, but the excitement from the blossoming idea alone was enough to get me in a happy mood.

"Yeah, my song should be that one song that tells how you feel about your crush—the crush song of the year!" I declared loudly, jumping up on an old chair and striking a pose.

I caught Ally looking up at me in amusement, her fingers tapping lightly against the keys. She turned away from me, her head ducking down as she began to think.

"Let me see," she said lowly, the sentence directed to herself more than it was to me. She began pressing keys. I jumped down and slid into place beside her on the bench. She was facing forward, and her lips moved silently as her eyes drooped closed.

I sat there awkwardly beside her for a few minutes, her lost in a trance, before she began bolting out, her voice loud and soft.

"_It's been fourteen minutes_

_Since I dropped you off and_

_My mind's still racing_

_Never thought I'd think about_

_All about you_

_With your two left feet_

_And how you're just so sweet_

_You got me falling_

_Like a shooting star…"_

Her voice trailed off at the end. I stared at her, gob smacked.

"How are you able to do that so fast?" I asked in amazement.

Ally looked at me. "Do what so fast?"

I made a pfft noise in the back my throat and gestured wildly between her and the piano. "Make magic! I've never seen someone do that so quickly."

She shrugged, her cheeks tinting a rosy pink. "I'm like a writer. Once I have a plan and direction to go in, it's hard to make me stop." Ally shook her head. "Enough about that."

She nudged her book closer; pointing to the lyrics she had sung and wrote down. "Now you try."

I looked at the lyrics and gave them my best shot. While Ally's voice was sweet and gentle like you would expect for a quiet, rainy day kind of song, my voice I naturally made loud and upbeat even though I trained myself to master both ways before.

"With this much done, the rest of the song should be a piece of cake," Ally said with a determined nod of her head. "It's always been like that with me, I guess. Once the beginning done, the rest flows."

I let my eyes linger on her a little after she was facing the keys again, head bent in concentration.

Whatever with the flowing and pieces of cake. I preferred to call it as it was—magic.

**{:::::::::::::::::}**

"This Ally girl sounds very nice," Mom observed. I could practically hear the smile in her voice.

"And pretty," Katie added beside me in that cute, little kid giggle of hers. I smiled at her and poked her stomach, her high pitch giggle making my mom laugh on her side of the phone.

Katie didn't even know what pretty meant, but heard mom teasing me with it and decided it was her new favorite word. She said it about everything, even our old, sliced up chopping board with splinters poking out dangerously on the sides.

"She's just a new friend," I insisted.

I could practically see my mom rolling her eyes. She never did believe a thing I said when it came to girls, because to her every one that came along had a chance of being my true love. She always was a hopeless romantic like that, but it got extremely annoying after a while.

"My break's almost over babies," mom sighed through the phone, "see you tonight. Love you."

"Love you," Katie and I cooed through the phone as she clicked off.

Katie jumped off where she had been sitting on the couch and began jumping up and down excitedly, looking at me with wide, pleading eyes. "Food! Food! Food!"

I chuckled, picking her up and balancing her easily on my hip as I went into the kitchen I swung the fridge door open, already knowing that we had scraped our cabinets bare earlier in the week.

Both Katie and I looked in disappointment at the fridge, seeing only a few slices of cheese and a mini bottle of water left.

I looked her. "Maybe it's time we do a little grocery shopping, hmm kiddo?"

She nodded in agreement, looking back at the empty cartons and ceased image of food before I closed the door with a look of disapproval.

I went to grab my phone and head over to Uncle Benny's to beg someone for a ride when there was three rapid knocks on the door.

I felt Katie look at me curious. She was just as used to Trish storming in and Dez calling first (as in, him calling me to tell he's outside the door) as I was. And our neighbors never visited, so who could it be?

Three more knocks, just as fast as the last ones.

Balancing her a little more on my hip, I went to open the door. I didn't seem the harm in it, because what criminal knocks before jiggling the doorknob to see if the apartment is locked?

Ally stood there, gripping her songbook in both hands and grinning happily. "  
I finished!" she exclaimed excitedly, jumping on the tops of her toes.

While the finished song did save my butt from Jimmy's wrath, and was just exciting news in general, I stood there looking at her with confusion.

"How'd you get my address?" I asked.

Ally blinked. "Trish."

Then I began to think about how, wow, Ally wasn't kidding when she said the rest of the song just flowed. It had been around six when I left to pick up Katie from her sitter's and take her home for dinner, after two hours of bouncing ideas off each other for the chorus.

"Not all songs can be finished in a day," Ally had said when she suggested that we stop for the day. "And what's better, a rushed, sloppy song no one likes? Or, a song that was really worked on and is amazing?"

I had grumbled about how it would have been nice if all amazing things were done in a day, because it would make everything a lot easier. Ally had just laughed and shooed me away.

Now, not even an hour later she was standing at my door with the finished song, which I'm pretty sure was incredible but her making one that was horrible just wasn't possible.

"Hungry!" Katie whined, tightening her little arms around my neck.

Suddenly Ally seemed to notice my phone in my hand and Katie on my hip, because she flushed a fluorescent pink and ducked her head, embarrassed.

"Sorry, was I intruding? I have a way of doing that when I'm excited," Ally asked, playing with the thread coming loose on the spine of her songbook.

I shook my head, easily putting on a smile as I shifted Katie in my arms. "No, you're fine. Me and kiddo here were just about to beg our uncle for a ride, actually."

Ally smiled a little nervously. It reminded me of Katie's face when she was trying to sneak food when I was cooking and she knew I could see her doing it.

"You could always borrow my car, if you want. Where you headed?"

I shook my head, knowing I would feel guilty using her car. "Really, it's just a little run to the grocery store—our uncle shouldn't mind."

To emphasize my point, Katie poked her stomach pointedly, signally that it would need to be filled before she found it fit throw a tantrum.

"No, really," Ally insisted, tucking her songbook under her arm to flap a hand dismissively. "Vanessa wants me to get her junk food anyway. To SuperMart we go!"

She started off toward the metal stairway that led to the parking lot.

I gave Katie a look. "To SuperMart we go."

Katie looked after Ally as I let the door lock shut behind us. "Pretty," she decided finally.

**{:::::::::::::::::}**

Katie spent the whole five minute drive babbling away to Ally from the backseat. To her credit, she nodded and talked back, agreeing that yes, the smaller parts in a coloring books were the hardest to color in, and that, definitely, everything should be chocolate.

"She's such a little cutie," Ally cooed as she watched Katie get on her tippy toes for her favorite box of cereal.

I smiled a little, pushing the cart further down the aisle. "Yeah, Katie's really something."

"And she's, what, five?"

"Mmhmm," I hummed, grabbing a thing of cinnamon Poptarts and knocking the cereal box into Katie's reach as Ally and I passed her to the other end of the aisle.

She grinned happily, skipping alongside the cart, holding it greedily in her hands. No one can come between Katie and her Lucky Charms.

Ally looked at her, sighing wistfully. "I can remember being that age, never having a care in the world."

Katie squealed, Lucky Charms momentarily forgotten as she dropped the box to the floor, and ran off, coming back soon with a thing of Danimal Yogurt in her hands. She looked up at me with wide, pleading emerald eyes, sticking her bottom lip out.

"Please?" she begged, stretching the word out as she began hopping up and down.

"Awww," Ally said from beside me, giving me a little side nudge with her bony elbow.

I sighed. And this was why I never liked taking Katie shopping with my mom or some other strong force; I caved way too easily.

"Just put 'em in the cart," I grumbled.

Katie squealed and did so, wrapping her little arms around my waist in a hug before picking up her abandoned Lucky Charms and skipping off, going down a random aisle.

"She is just the cutest thing," Ally gushed as we trailed behind her.

It wasn't the first time I'd ever heard that.

* * *

**This chapter I believe is longer than the last, so I really hope that makes up for the long absence of this story.**

**The next chapter will probably not be up until sometime in September, and I'm beginning to experience another big block for this story so if any of you have any ideas for the next chapter and what should be in it, feel free to drop them in a review or pm them to me.**

**Until next time, later ya'll.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Woohoo, I was finally able to fulfill my promise of updating on time!**

**This chapter was a part of my Friday haul, hich quickly turned into a Saturday haul. I'm lazy, sorry.**

**No promises that t****he net update will be soon after this chapter, so I will try to make this a pretty lengthy chapter to keep ya'll satisfied.**

**And, something came to me after watching an episode of Good Luck Charlie: Mia Talerico would make the perfect Katie. So if you were having trouble picturing Katie, then just think of Mia and you'll be good to go.**

**J****ust, imagine Austin with Mia on his hip...**

**...Did you do it...?**

**Such an adorable scene, you could just melt.**

* * *

Ally was invited to stay for dinner. She said yes.

Believe it or not, it wasn't my idea. And Ally was too nice to impose an idea like herself.

Katie did it. She had been sitting in the backseat, a hand stuck in her box of Lucky Charms as she casually spoiled her dinner and talked to Ally at the same time. Tiny crumbs of cereal littered her mouth as she said, "Stay for din din."

Where she got din din when I knew she could say dinner, I had no idea.

Because I was creative, we were having spaghetti for a second time. Katie and Ally had no complaints.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Ally asked. I spun from where I was finished pouring the noodles to see her standing there, hands clasped behind her back. Behind her I could see Katie laying on the couch, watching Spongebob.

I pressed my lips together. I knew it would be rude to put a guest to work, but the process of making dinner was going to be slower if I made it by myself. I usually had Kim's extra set of hands helping me, and I wasn't the best multi-tasker.

"You could help me start the sauce, if you don't mind," I said, sounding sheepish even in my ears.

Ally shook her head, features pleasant as she came to flick on the burner next to mine. "I really don't mind," she said with a shrug. "I'm used to it."

I wanted to ask what this meant, but wasn't sure if I would come off concerned or rude, so I just kept my mouth shut.

Katie let out a sudden round of high-pitched hysterics at something on TV, making me shake my head and smile.

"I can't get over how cute she is," Ally said in a laugh. She stirred, opening the cans with ease.

"I know, no one can." No one except Miss Carol; that witch would call a puppy ugly.

"So..." I said after a couple minutes of silence. Maybe it was that my entire life had revolved around music, but I couldn't stand long silences.

"Oh, right! The song!" Ally turned the dial until the sauce was simmering on low, saving its heat, as she went to the table and dug around her bag, triumphantly pulling out her song book.

She walked back to me, flipping through several pages coated in her careful, curly handwriting.

"I thought of it while I was finishing up some stuff around the store," she muttered, stopping on the most recently written-on page. "It's basically pretty-lighthearted, so I hope you won't mind."

I look back to my noodles, seeing that they still weren't quite ready yet, and slide a lid on the pot, switching my burner on low so I could come over and stand behind her, peering down at the lyrics over her shoulder.

They were amazing.

_"Summer in the sand_

_He's a drummer in the band_

_She's a DJ at th boardwalk._

_A smile and a tan_

_And her sandals in her hand_

_R__ockin' the shades_

_You could almost see their eyes lock."_

I felt my face break into a grin.

"These lyrics are awesome, Ally!" I said excitedly. "Jimmy will love it!"

She closed her book, setting it back in her bag. "You think?" she asked. Ally had her back to me, but I could hear her mix of nerves and excitement in her voice.

I nodded like a bobblehead, even though she couldn't see it. "Definitely!"

The topic of the song was slowly waned off as we returned to our stations, stirring and laughing.

Half an hour later I picked Katie up from her couch potato position on the couch and put her on her stack of phone books, a thing that Ally found quite amusing.

"Well, every princess needs a throne," she said, helping me set the table and bring the sauce pan and bowl of noodles over.

Katie perked up, immediately jumping off her so-called throne and running to her room, her giggles a makeshift trail of dust behind her.

"Katie! It's dinner time!" I shouted, knowing that Katie wouldn't care either way. If she had left when there was food right in front of her, this must have been important—or as important as things can be when it came to a five-year-old girl in a pink tutu and candy cane socks.

She dashed back in seconds later, an old paper crown from Burger King tipping off the side of her head.

Of course. Katie had saved a least a million of those in case one of the others tore or was "stolen" as she had said when I saw her steadily growing crown collection.

Ally laughed, attempting to calm herself by putting a hand over her mouth.

"Crown!" she proudly stated, pointing at it with her fork as I scooped spaghetti and sauce onto her plate.

Ally nodded, trying not to break into a fit of laughter again. "I see, and is this dinner fit for a princess, Princess Katie?"

Her ability to play along in Katie's magical kingdom was astounding.

**{::::::::::::::::}**

Today was the big day.

I pulled on a clean white shirt I found sticking out of one my dresser drawers, and stuck my feet into a pair of nearby blue high tops. It was around ten in the morning, and I thanked God that Mindy was in one of her better moods and allowed me the day off.

Even her in all her grumpy glory understood how big and fragile my career was.

Today was the first day that Jimmy would be meeting Ally, and I was insanely nervous. More nervous than I should be, because Ally had raw talent.

Sure, her dancing around my kitchen while we cleaned up needed a lot of work, but she was just my songwriter. Plus, with her fear of stage fright, I doubted she was going to burst into her dance spasms in front Jimmy, a person she didn't know.

Trish had called me last night stating that the auditioning process with Jimmy was going to be smooth and simple.

"All Ally has to do is show him a few songs," she had explained. "Then he'll want you to sing a few bars—just to make sure it matches The Austin Moon image—, then bam, it's over and done with."

It sounded simple enough, but I hadn't even done this with my first songwriter. Now she was someone who would have needed this auditioning process.

I walked out of my room, popping some bread into the toaster as I came into the kitchen.

Dez and Trish were supposed to be picking me up after they got Ally.

Mom had dropped off Katie with one of her good friends because Miss Carol—the old witch—had "bruised her hip." I wouldn't put it pst her to lie for a day off, even though Katie wasn't much of an handful. Put her in front of a TV, or a coloring book with a load of different color crayons and she could tune you out for hours.

The toaster went off with a sharp ding, bringing me from my thoughts. I grabbed my food and stacked the two pieces on a napkin. Mom would kill me if I made a mess of crumbs in her kitchen.

I ate quickly, stuffing the toast in my mouth, plain and dry. I cringed at the feel of it in my mouth and guzzled down some orange juice straight from the pitcher.

Seconds later I was stumbling down the stairs, pulling on a blue hoodie that had been draped on the back of couch, almost face-planting on the last step. I swore, cringing at the dull throbbing shooting up from my leg and hurried the doors of my apartment complex, arriving just as Trish's car recklessly swung into the lot.

When I hopped into the back seat, Ally was gripping on to her door for dear life, seat belt keeping her locked in place. I couldn't help but laugh at how her face was looking at little green.

"Do you ever get used to it?" she whisper-asked me. I could just barely make out her words over the loud sound of Dez screeching along to the radio and Trish's angry yells at the traffic that obviously didn't give a damn.

Shaking my head, I laughed again. "Nope, but luckily throw-up comes off of leather interior easily!"

I think she went a shade greener after I said.

It was a fifteen minute ride to Starr Records Studios, but with the stupid Miami traffic, there was a three-minute delay, which only got Trish more riled up than she normally was.

Maybe this was a bit obvious, but Trish and traffic? Not a good combination.

These twenty minutes were spent with Dez steadily growing louder as the songs changed, Trish getting louder at every red light, Ally going greener with every stomp Trish gave to the gas pedal, and me growing more worried at the possible chance of smelling like throw-up as this all went on around me.

With a turn so dangerous that I thought the car was going to tilt on its side, we were finally at the Studio.

I never saw a person climb out of a car as fast as Ally had. It was actually kinda funny, even though I did feel bad laughing when she fell to the ground; she did make a pretty good pasta after all.

Jimmy was patiently waiting in his huge black swivel chair behind his even bigger glass desk. His office always gave me the feeling I was an ant, everything about it being so huge. Even the rubber fern in the corner seemed to have a head of height against me.

I don't what it was with this guy and abnormally large decorations.

"Ah, you must be Ally," he said politely, once spotting where Ally had been inching her way behind Dez.

She smiled nervous, stepping around Dez and reluctantly sticking out her hand. "Yep, that's me."

"I have to say, I wasn't a big fan at the thought of a new songwriter, because new songwriter means new songs, new style—a whole lot of new, if you get what I'm saying, Miss Dawson."

Ally's eyes had grown a little larger as I gently pushed her into a chair around Jimmy's desk. The green tint was returning to her cheeks and I was afraid his glass desk would no longer be as clear as it had been when we had entered the room.

"Well," she nervously started, her hands beginning to wring themselves in her lap, "If you were to give me this opportunity, I would make that Austin would have as much say as he can for a positive effect on the song. I'm a strong believer that every sing should be able to personally connect to the song, whatever it may be. We even finished one together this week—for testing purposes."

"And I am to assume you brought it with you today."

Ally nodded her head up and down faster than a bobble head, digging around her purse before pulling out the translucent purple CD case we had housed the recording of our new song in.

I bounced on the tips of my toes, full of unkempt, nervous energy.

Jimmy popped the disk into the DVD player hooked up to the flat screen that took up most of the wall behind him. Trish was nodding along, Dez was not-so quietly singing along under his breath, and my bouncing grew faster as Ally took a chuck of hair and stuck the end of it into her mouth.

When the song was over, there was this silence that seemed to laugh a dozen lifetimes.

"Well, Miss Dawson," Jimmy said finally, pausing to keep everyone with bated breath. "Great to have you officially aboard Team Austin!"

* * *

**That concludes the fourth chapter of TSSLM!**

**The next chapter won't be until October, but I plan on doing two or three updates through-out October, so be on a lookout for those too.**

**I also have a new one-shot coming out in a day or so, called Fragments. It will not be for A&A, but it will be for a Disney show.**

**And can we just talk about how much Louder rocks? It's, just, oh my god no words were even made to describe it's beauty yet! Ugh!**

**Review, and tell me your favorite R5 song, and if you think I should have Ally write one for Austin in a later chapter!**

**See you guys in the next update.**


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